The big news of the week was the severe weather that came through the state on Tuesday. Many people across the state were affected by these storms. Our district was no different seeing significant property damage to homes in Franklin County, specifically in Mulkeytown. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by these storms as they begin to rebuild.

Living in Southern Illinois we know that unfortunately this is not the last time we will experience severe weather like this. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Ready Illinois are good resources on how to prepare for when disaster strikes. I encourage everyone to visit these websites to make sure you are prepared for the next storm that comes through.

Click Here to visit and Illinois Emergency Management Agency

Click Here to visit Ready Illinois

Southern Illinois Eclipse-

On Tuesday I attended a presentation by Carbondale Tourism  to introduce a new regional website for the eclipse coming in August. The website provides visitors with a list of travel, lodging, and dining options along with information on the eclipse and other local activities. Businesses are being encouraged to advertise on this website and can do so for free. This is a great for our area, as the region expects to see an influx in visitors with the upcoming eclipse.

You can visit the website by Clicking Here

Business owners can sign up by Clicking Here

Northside Elementary School

On Thursday, I visited Northside Elementary School in Herrin to talk with our youth about the importance of reading. During the visit I got to read a book by one of my favorite authors, Dr. Seuss, to Ms. Gaither’s first grade class. It was a treat to see how passionate the students were about reading.

Thank you to Principal Viernow for the invitation and I look forward to returning soon.

Legislation Update

A few more of the bills I have introduced were assigned to House committees on Wednesday, including:

HB 2895 State Exercise as Cycling

HB 2896 Teachers for Rural Schools

HB 2897 Paws Program

HB 3660 School Board Statement of Affairs

HB 3666 Concealed License Fee Reduction

HB 3790 Legislative Pay Raise Denial

Once again, I encourage you to learn more about each bill and track them as they move through the legislative process. You can also explore other pieces of legislation by visiting the Illinois General Assembly’s website.

Stay Connected

My office in Marion is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. You can email me directly through the Contact Form on my website at www.repseverin.com. My staff and I are here to serve you! So please feel free to share your opinions with us.

 

SPRINGFIELD, IL – State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) today said the Governor showed great leadership and gave guidance to the General Assembly in his Budget Address on Wednesday. Severin also expressed an eagerness to work out a compromise.

“The Governor really stepped up today,” Severin said, “He gave the General Assembly direction and leadership, by outlining parameters to the Senate’s compromise. This sort of direction has been desperately needed. Now it is time for us to put partisan politics aside, roll up our sleeves, and get to work on a long-term balanced budget.”

In the end, Severin was happy to see that the Governor’s top priorities are job creation, keeping taxes down and economic growth. Severin believes having a budget that enables those things is a must.

“At the end of the day, we cannot expect to tax our way out of our financial woes. We have to get more high paying jobs coming to Illinois. By doing this there is no doubt that this state will see a tremendous amount of economic growth.” Severin said, “That’s why I believe any balanced budget has to be a bargain for taxpayers and job creators alike.”